Never-Fail Pie Dough

Earlier this year I had a chance to spend a few weeks with my mother-in-law. Some of my favorite times were spent cooking and baking with her in the kitchen. She shared this pie recipe which she has used since she was a young married housewife at age 18. It's served her family well all these years, and I'm delighted to share it with you.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Fresh Strawberry Pie 

As a child, I picked endless boxes of strawberries in our large garden on the farm. The strawberry patch had its own spot with rows and rows of green plants my father carefully mulched with straw each spring and fall. How exciting it was to see the first flowers appear on the plants each spring, because that meant soon the juicy berries would be appearing!  The excitement lasted right through the first day of berry season. Then my back started aching from bending over to search for the berries as I plopped handfuls into my small box, then dumped them into a larger box at the end of the row.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread 

There are few things in the world as alluring as the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. One whiff can transport us to the cozy kitchens of our childhood where our mothers or grandmothers pulled hot loaves from the oven, then wiped floury hands on aprons as they reached for a knife to cut generous slices. If you were anything like me, you polished off more than a piece, each slathered with butter and homemade jam.

Molletes

Molletes

Sunday lunch used to be a big deal at our house when I was growing up. Never did we eat out at restaurants or swing by a drive-through because Mennonites don't believe in purchasing food (or anything else for that matter) on a Sunday.  So that was always a day we prepped a big meal in the morning before leaving for church and then finished up the cooking process when we came home. It was my favorite meal of the week.